Burner cabinet construction



Oct. 7, 1941. A. J. GRINDLE BURNER CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l NYBNTOQ 6 (ML/[Meg Oct, 7, 1941. A. J. GRINDLE BURNER CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 17, 1938' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 7, 1941 w 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE p BURNER CABINET CONSTRUCTION Aubrey J. Grindle, Chicago, Ill. 1 application September 17,1938, Serial No. 230,479

Claims. (01. 312-141) This invention relates to improvements in burner cabinet constructions and more particularly concerns a novel cabinet adapted for use to enclose a domestic heater or furnace.

' Automatically controlled domestic heaters or furnaces usually embody a plurality of delicately adjustable controls which must not be tampered with if the installation is to operate at optimum efliciency. Instead of calling upon anexperienced service man whenany of the controls seem to require adjustment, some inexperienced householders attempt to make such adjustments themselves, thus often throwing the system out of order. In such cases the system is'often criticizedas ineficient whereasactually the inexperienced adjustment is to blame.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to'provide an enclosure or cabinet with-v formed of sheet metal panels of which certain ones are relatively permanently connected to- 'gether toprovide a fixed framework and others are removably connected to such framework and when thus connected complete a substantial and attractive enclosure.

-2-Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means for connecting the panels of thecabinettogether. I

-'A.flll-thel' object of the invention is to provide novel" means for preventing relative rattling movement of the connected panels.

Anadditional object is to provide a sectional.

heater 1 or furnace cabinet of inexpensive, highly efficient construction which can be quickly and easily assembled from a knockdown condition.

Other objects and advantages will become apparentin the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 11s a perspective view of a cabinet construction embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional plan view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. .3 is a perspective assembly view of the cabinet.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of one upper corner of the cabinet taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse vertical sectional view through the cabinet taken substan tially in the plane of line 5-5" of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary, perspective views of the inside upper corner and the inside lower corner, respectively, of one of" the remova-i ble side panels of the cabinet.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view through the base of the cabinet taken substantially in the plane of line 88 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view through an end wall base portion of the cabinet taken substantially in the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 3.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail, the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications,

and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

As shown by way of example in the drawings, a cabinet constructed substantially in accordance with the present invention provides a hollow casing or'housing including a base frame III of substantially rectangular shape, spaced parallel vertical end walls II and I2, a top wall I3, and spaced side walls, generally indicated by the numeral I4, which fit between the base .frame I0 and the top wall I3 and enclose the spaces between the vertical edges of the end walls II- and I2. All of the walls may be formed of sheet metal panels of suitable gauge and flanged for strength. The panels may be appropriately enameled or otherwise finished to afford an attractive exterior for-the cabinet, and are preferably joined together in an outwardly flush arrangement to provide a smooth, sleek appearance. Having particular reference to Figs. 3, 8 and 9, a preferred construction of the base frame IIl includes a relatively thin vertically standing sectionalized rim member I5 which may be constructed of a suitably dimensioned metallic, bar or plate, or a plurality of flat bar sections, properly shaped and connected together rigidly. Intermediate the 'top and bottom edges the inner face of the member I 5- is connected a ledge I! which may be constructed of suitable angle bar stock. This ledge is adapted to rest upon a, rim I8 which defines the mouth of the ash pit of an associated heater or furnace (not shown).

The end wall panels II and I2 are preferably constructed substantiall alike and in the present instance comprise the front and rear walls, respectively, of the cabinet. All margins of these panels, it will be noted, are formed on a radius for imparting strength and pleasing contours to the panels. Along its lower edge each of the end wall panels has an inwardly and downward- 1y facing seating flange I3 (Figs. 3 and 9) which is adapted snugly to engage and rest upon the upper edges of the end sections of the base member I5. Suitable means such as stove bolts 20 will connect the seating flanges I9 fixedly to the base frame.

Along its upper edge, each of the end wall panels has 8. depending shoulder flange M which faces inwardly and upwardly. This shoulder flange .2I serves to engage the respective associated end of the top wall panel I3 which is for this purpose provided with a downturned engagement flange 22 at each end. Suitable means suchas stove bolts 23 may connect the flanges 2| and 22 flxedly together. Through this arrangement the base frame I0, the end wall panels II and I2 and the top panel I3 together form a substantially flxed, open framework.

In the exemplary form shown herein. the side walls I4 maybe of twice the width of the end walls and are-therefore, preferably each constructed as a pair of similar panels 24 (Fig. 3) to facilitate handling and assembly. Each of these side wall panels 24 preferably has its upper and lower margins formed on a radius corresponding to the shape of the upper and lower margins of the end wall panels. Moreover, each of the panels 24 is preferably reenforced by right angular flanges 25 (Figs. 3, 6 and 7) one along each verticaledge thereof.

.According .to the present invention the side wall panels 24 are adapted to be individually removably supported in coplanar pairs bythe base frame I0 and top panel I3. To this end an upstanding flange 21 along the lower end of each of the panels 24 carries a spaced pair of spring clips-28 (Figs. 3, 7 and 8). These clips are adapted to flt over the upper edge of the base frame member I5 to support the associated panel thereon.

Depending from the upper edge of each panel 24 is a flange 29 which is adapted to be received by one of a pair of retrovert socket flanges 30,

formed along the respective opposite longitudinal edges of the top panel I3. panels 24 can be quickly assembled by a downward movement to hook the clips 28 and the depending flanges 29 thereof in place.

In order to facilitate the operation of assembling the side wall panels 24, the dependin lips of the clips -28 are preferably longer than ments thereof projectthrough the connecting webs of the socket flanges 30 and into the depending upper flanges 29 of the side wall panels. Suitable key apertures 32 may be provided in the top panel I3 above the respective locks 3|. Thus, when the locks 3| ar open the side wall panels 24 can be quickly mounted or removed, but when the panels are locked in place they will be effectively held against removal.

Looseness and consequent rattling of the adjoining vertical edges of the removable panels 24 and the end wall panels II and I2 is prevented by providing means for taking up clearance or slack to hold the panels substantially against relative rattling movement. A simple expedient to this end lies in providingthe vertical corner edges of the end wall panels II and I2 with inset shoulder flanges 33 (Figs. 3, 5 and 8) which are adapted to be engaged angularly by the inner edges of the vertical reenforcing flanges 25 of the removable panels, said inner edges being formed on a slight conv'ex radius or curvature to assure such engagement. This relationship is such that as an incident to mounting of said removable panels, the abutting flanges will interact to be placed under tension due to the positive inward pressure upon the corner flanges 33 by the arcuate bearing edges of the reenforcing flanges 25.

tures 34 deflned by depending seating flanges 35 Thus, the side wall the width of the respective top-engaging flanges to receive appropriate doors 36. Each of these doors may be provided with a rigid connecting lug 31 along one edge and a lock 38 at its opposite edge to engage the seating flange 35 and hold-the door against unauthorized removal.

Sometimes it may be desirable to permit observation of certain customary gauges or similar instruments which may be mounted upon an instrument panel 33 (Fig. 2) on the enclosed heater or furnace within the cabinet. For this purpose, one of the side wall panels 24 may be provided with a suitable aperture 40 closed by a hinged door 4|. Preferably the instrument panel 39 will be so located with respect to the inspection opening 40 that access thereby into the interior of the cabinet will be prevented.

In the cabinet construction shown, the only other openings will be such as are necessary to permit the passage of pipes, ducts or other necessary connecting members leading to the enclosed automatically fired and controlled heater or furnace. For example, the rear wall I2 may have None of these openings will, however, permit unauthorized, access to the interior of the cabinet. The cabinet structure may be packed in small space for storage or shipment in knockdown condition and can then be assembled around the ing means such as locks 3I (Fig. 5) are provided,

- instance the locks 3| are mounted upon the inner face of thetop panel I3 to have the locking elefurnace cabinet formed of easily assembled sections which are inexpensive in construction,

which cooperate relatively snugly to produce an enclosure having aesthetically pleasing lines. and which are held againstunauthorized opening or disassenibly.

I claim as my invention:

.1. A sheet metal burner cabinet construction comprising in combination, a base frame; a pair of spacedparallel vertical panels secured to said base frame, a top panel supported by and securedto take up slack and prevent rattling; and looking means to hold said removable panels in place against unauthorized removal.

2. A sheet metal burner cabinet construction comprising, in combination, a base frame including an upstanding rectangular member, a pair of spaced parallel vertical panels having downwardly facing shoulder flanges along their lower edges engaging said upstanding frame member at op- .posite sides of the frame, means for securing said downwardly facing shoulder flanges to said upstanding member, upwardly facing shoulder flanges along the top edges of said vertical panels, a top panel supported by and secured to said upwardly facing shoulder flanges and together with said pair of panels and said base frame forming a substantially fixed open framework, depending return-bent socket flanges along the free edges of said top panel, and closure panels having means on their lower extremities for removably engaging said base member and having depending flanges along their, upper extremities for removably engaging within said socket flanges whereby to enclose the open framework to complete the cabinet, said removable panels and said pair of panels having interengaging means to take up slack and prevent rattling.

3. A cabinet construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a base structure, a top, vertical panels extending angularly to each other between said base structure and said top to form therewith a hollow casing, and means on said panels for effecting a non-rattling inter engagement therebetween including abutting angular corner flanges adapted to be placed under tension by their interaction as an incident to mounting of the panels.

4. A cabinet construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a rectangular base frame having an upstanding rim thereabout, a pair of spaced parallel vertical panels supported by and secured to said rim, a top panel supported by said vertical panels, and a plurality of closure panels removably supported by said rim and by said top panel, each of the removable panels having a pair of spring clips along its lower edge for engaging said rim and means along its top edge for interengagement with said top panel, said clips being constructed to compel engagement thereof with said rim by a downward motion ahead of theengagement of said means with said top panel when the associated removable panel is to be placed in position.

5. A cabinet construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a base member having an upstanding edge, a top supported above said base member, a removable panel having means at its bottom edge to engage with said base member and means at its upper edge to engage with said top by a downward vertical movement of the panel, said engagement means being so relatively constructed that in mounting said removable panel said bottom edge means must engage said base member ahead of the engagement of said top edge means.

6. A cabinet construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a base structure, a top, a panel extending upright between said base structure and top having an inset shoulder flange along one upright edge thereof, and another panel extending upright between said base structure and top at an angle to said first-mentioned panel and having an inwardly projecting flange for edgewise engagement with said shoulder flange, theengaging edge of said inwardly projecting flange extending farther inwardly at an intermediate portion thereof than near the ends so as to develop a tensioned relationship with said shoulder flange in assembly.

7. A sheet metal burner cabinet construction comprising, in combination, a base frame including an upstanding rectangular member, a pair of spaced parallel vertical panels having downwardly facing shoulder flanges along their lower edges engaging said upstanding frame member at opposite ends of the frame, means for securing said downwardly facing shoulder flanges to said upstanding member, upwardly facing shoulder flanges along the top edges of said vertical panels, a top panel supported by and secured to said upwardly facing shoulder flanges and togetherwith said pair of panels and base base frame forming a substantially fixed open framework, depending return-bent upwardly and outwardly opening socket flanges along the free edges of said top panel, and closure panels having means on their lower extremities for removably engaging said base member and having-depending flanges along their upper extremities, for removably engaging within said socket flanges by a vertical downward movement whereby to enclose the open framework to complete the cabinet.

8. A sheet metal burner cabinet structure comprising, in combination, a base frame including means on their lower extremities for removably engaging said upstanding base frame member and having depending flanges along their upper extremities for removably engaging Within said socket flanges whereby to enclose the open framework to complete the cabinet, said toppanel having small openings therein adjacent to said socket flanges, and key actuated locking means carried by said top panel interiorly thereof and projecting into locking engagement with said socket flanges and said depending closure panel flanges to lock the panels against unauthorized removal, said locking means being accessible by operating key means only through said'openings.

9. A cabinet construction comprising, in combination, a base frame, a top panel, a plurality of spaced apart vertical panels supporting said top panel and secured to said base frame, and

a plurality of vertical closure panels arranged to be supported Jointly by said top panel and said base frame, said top panel and said base frame including upstanding engagement means and said closure panels having downwardly extending means for engagement with said upstanding means by a downward motion to place the closure panels in position, the spacing between the extremities of said downstandlng means being greater than the spacing between the extremities of said upstanding means so as to compel interengagement between the lowermost upstanding and downstanding means before interengagement between the upper of such means.

10. A cabinet construction comprising, in combination. a base frame, a top panel, a plurality of spaced apart vertical panels supporting said top panel and secured to said base frame, a plurality of vertical removable closure panels arranged to be supported jointly by said top panel and said base frame, said top panel and said base frame including engagement means, said removable panels having means for engaging said engagement means by a downward motion to place the removable panels in position and so proportioned as to compel engagement of the means at the lowermost ends of the removable panels initially followed by engagement of the means at the upper ends of the latter panels, and interengaging means at the sides or said removable panels and said top-supporting panels to take up slack and prevent rattling oi. the panels.

AUBREY J. GRINDLE. 

